


But Losers Never Weep

by VanillaDaydreams



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Character Study, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining Kise, Time Skips, and because I said so, aokise - Freeform, because kaijou deserve better, kaijou will win more matches, kise becomes captain, there is angst if you squint, this has more fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaDaydreams/pseuds/VanillaDaydreams
Summary: Little does Kise know that for every time he loses to Aomine, it brings him a step closer to winning the Touou Ace’s heart.
Relationships: Aomine Daiki/Kise Ryouta
Comments: 34
Kudos: 160





	But Losers Never Weep

**Author's Note:**

> First things first-- I wish that you're safe and healthy.  
> I wrote this while on home quarantine and what should've been a drabble quickly got out of hand. I just don't know how to write short things. Anyway, this will start off from their Teiko days to the KnB children's final year in high school, also following the storyline where Kagami didn't leave for the US after Last Game (not that it's very important, heh). I threw a bunch of canon stuff and some of my headcanons into this, hoping that it'll work, somehow. I still hope that someone will read this and enjoy.

“Aominecchi, one more time!”

Kise remembers it too well, the memory stuck on his mind like a scar, the first time Aomine had beaten his ass in a one-on-one. He sees his middle school self, crouched low on the ground, all sweaty and panting before Aomine’s towering figure, the taste of first defeat bittersweet on his tongue.

Barely a month into playing basketball, Kise’s fame shot ever higher to the skies when he made it into first string in just two weeks, the fastest that’s ever been known in Teiko’s history. And basketball itself was love at first sight; it seemed cool and exciting right from the start and whether Aomine had to do with any of Kise’s sudden and immense hyperfixation back then, he’s not entirely sure at that time, all he knew was how his heart had quickened, dulling the pain at the back of his head while he stood by the gym door watching the blue-haired stranger moving around the court so fluidly fast. And Kise had never seen anyone leap so high in the air before, this annoying tanned boy who hit him with a ball earlier suddenly morphing into someone so freaking amazing before Kise’s very eyes, ball in hand and dunking it into the hoop with such ferocity, quickly igniting a wildfire within Kise’s heart.

Working his way from the ground up, much of Kise’s waking hours from then on had all been devoted to learning the ropes of the sport, picking out his favorite moves, and absorbing as much information as he could like a sponge.

He had gotten so good in it in no time, exceedingly far ahead in skill than most of the varsity hopefuls he’d met during the tryouts with years of experience under their belts. While everyone’s pretty impressed with his feat, it made Kise worry, because for someone who gets bored rather easily, he might just bounce back to where he was before discovering basketball--all consumed by boredom and well, loneliness. On the other hand, there’s Aomine and his colored clique, the Generation of Miracles, who were obviously in a league of their own, who never failed to amaze Kise with their talent every time he comes to see them play. They really seemed strong and Kise wondered secretly, conceitedly even, if he could take them on.

Kise got his answer soon enough, one evening after team practice, for the first time he challenged Aomine to a one-on-one.

So to speak, Kise fell off from his figurative high horse.

With a confident smirk, Aomine tossed him a towel. “Even if we play til midnight, you’ll never win. You’re a hundred years behind me, Kise.”

“But I can still go on for another round!” Kise protested.

“Yeah, yeah. You can barely stand up, too, idiot.” Aomine pointed out before placing both hands over his hips. “Let’s just go home. Loser buys popsicles.”

The reality behind Aomine’s words, the disparity between his and Aomine’s strength, had brought Kise the breakthrough he’d been waiting for.

Yes, he’s tired but he couldn't stop smiling.

He’s never had so much fun in a while.

Kise slowly pulled his weight from the ground. With newfound determination, he made a promise to Aomine and to himself.

“I’m gonna win against you soon, Aominecchi!

The tanned teen simply shrugged. When he saw the gleam of mischief in his dark blue eyes, Kise knew that Aomine had taken on his challenge.

And Kise had never forgotten the words he promised Aomine that night so he pushed himself to train harder, to get closer to his goal. There were countless matches between him and Aomine since then, for which the outcome had always been the same but instead of being disheartened, it made Kise more thirsty for victory, he just couldn’t bring himself to care about the losses he’s had on hand.

“Hey, one more round!” Kise made a vehement protest, this time on a street court one summer afternoon, just as Aomine was walking away after making the winning shot.

Hearing Kise whine, Aomine halted his steps and glanced over his shoulder, meeting Kise’s puppy eyes with a smug expression. “You just don’t know when to give up, do you?”

“Give up?” Kise frowned, not quite comprehending. “I can’t ever give up when I’m this close to winning!”

Dismissing Kise with a wave of his hand, Aomine continued walking towards the bench to where their duffel bags were.

Kise caught up beside Aomine and whined. “Aominecchi, please?”

Paying Kise no mind, Aomine looked away, focusing instead on his bag to grab his water bottle. After taking a long sip, he turned his attention back to the blond. “How many times do you have to hear it, anyway? You can’t--”

“--beat me.” Kise finished for Aomine. “Fine. But you can’t be right all the time. I’ll beat you very soon!”

Because there’s something really addicting to it--playing basketball, competing against Aomine--that clutches on to Kise’s interest so hard and so fast, he just can’t bring himself to run away from it.

“Pfft. Dream on, Kise.”

“I’ll become stronger than anyone else, you’ll see,” he told Aomine with his chin proudly raised in the air.

To this, the Teiko Ace simply snorted. Then without warning, he leaned closer to Kise’s face, causing the blond to stagger backwards for a bit, a pair of dark blue eyes smoldering him, almost giving him a heart attack. For a brief moment of delusion, Kise had let his thoughts go astray, focusing on Aomine’s slightly parted lips, right before Aomine’s next words brought him back to reality.

“I’ll buy you popsicles and Haagen-Dazs if you can do that,” Aomine said with a smirk, offering Kise his half-full water bottle.

Kise exhaled slowly, gathering his senses.

“Seriously? Oi, Aominecchi, don’t ever forget your words!”

“It’s a promise,” Aomine said, pressing the cold surface of the bottle onto Kise’s cheek.

Kise had beamed at Aomine, grabbed the water bottle offered to him and took a good swig from it, his head full of daydreams.

* * *

To Kise’s enormous disappointment, though, Aomine couldn’t wait for him.

Everyday, the Teiko Power Forward only got stronger and with it, he fell away, little by little, losing himself to despair and boredom. When Kise had finally caught up to it, it broke his heart that he’s much too late to do anything about the situation, more so, to save his friend.

By that time, Kise had already earned a place among the Miracles, Teiko was on its way to becoming the best middle school basketball team in Japan and yet, there’s this growing void inside his chest, something’s just amiss.

And with Aomine growing cold and distant, playing basketball seemed a little different.

Kise remembered the last time he had asked Aomine to play one-on-one with him before they left Teiko.

“Aominecchi, why aren’t you coming to practice anymore?” Kise found him lying on his back, at the school’s rooftop, staring aimlessly at the clouds.

“What for? It’s all useless,” Aomine drawled without sparing Kise a glance.

“How about we just skip practice together and play one-on-one?”

“Go away, Kise. You’re all a waste of energy. You’ll never beat me, anyway, so what’s the point?” Aomine rolled to his left side so he had not seen how Kise’s shoulders had slumped forward, how his lips trembled at the words he heard.

There were no words to describe how sorry he felt for himself at that moment. Hanging his head low, Kise simply left quietly with his heart weighing a ton, hot tears already springing from his eyes even before he’s out of the door.

* * *

Coming to Kaijou was a blessing.

In Kaijou, he learned teamwork and responsibility and his teammates nurtured him, taught him and valued him as their ace. Little by little, he’s enjoying basketball again, little by little he’s healing.

He thought of Aomine sometimes, maybe more often than he cared to admit, and wondered how he fit into his new team, if they drag him to practice just as Kise’s senpais do if there’s ever a chance that a change of environment, a change of pace could bring the old Aomine back.

A thrill so palpable and electric settled within Kise’s bones, upon seeing Aomine for the first time in months at the quarter-finals of the Interhigh. Aomine looked stronger, the perpetual crease over his eyebrows sharper, more menacing somehow. Having an unbridled sense of gameplay, Aomine always brought something new to his playing style even when he’s known to slack off during practice and Kise wondered what surprises could he and Touou have been hiding under their sleeves. Not that he hadn’t come prepared for them. He got stronger over time, too, and along with it, he’s now got a team who has his back.

As the game progressed, Kise felt like a prey about to fall helplessly into a trap. He hated to admit it but keeping up with Aomine had put a strain on his being. However, Kise tried to convince himself that he couldn't lose to Aomine today, he couldn’t fail his team. He had to do something fast.

 _But what if the person Aomine is playing against is none other than himself?_ He’s toyed with the idea over and over these past few months. And this moment seemed to be the right time to test this theory.

Difficult but not impossible.

After all, it’s been him who always loses to Aomine; Kise knew him better than anyone else.

He took deep breaths, channeling his energy down his ankles. With a rush of strength coursing through his limbs, Kise sprinted, finally finding a way to break past Aomine’s guard. Somehow, it left his lungs burning, his heart fracturing into pieces inside of him.

_If I keep admiring, I can’t surpass… that’s why…_

_I’ll quit admiring you._

The shock on the Aomine’s face made the blood roar on Kise’s ears. Finally, Kise caught up with Aomine’s pace and it caught the Touou Ace off-guard, too. Kise had bitten back a smirk. They traded baskets, fighting hard to make sure that the other didn't get an opening.

Yet despite the effort he’s pulled, Kise still fell to fatigue and gravity, a useless heap on the floor, barely feeling his legs.

What stabbed him deeply, leaving a scar in Kise’s dreams and memory later, was the look that Aomine gave him after, full of nothing but pity as he watched Kise struggle to get to his feet.

_Fuck._

Kise despised being pitied upon. It’s the feeling of utter helplessness that he hated the most.

* * *

It’s like a huge weight had been lifted away from Kise’s shoulders when Kuroko and Kagami managed to pull Aomine from the crutches of despair. After Touou’s defeat against Seirin, Aomine’s love and enthusiasm for the sport he used to be so passionate about came back in full swing, as what Kise had gathered from Momoi. Aomine misses none of their team practices now, he no longer comes in late for games and while he still complains a lot, at least he listens to the Coach and the Senpais now, trying his best to assimilate himself to the team and more importantly, trying to become better at his game.

One quiet evening, Kise got a text from Aomine.

 _One-on-one tomorrow?_ It simply said.

Kise’s heart had jumped to his throat and though he’s got a photoshoot scheduled the following day, Kise never had second thoughts about asking his manager to cancel it for an extremely important game.

It turned out, Kise had almost won that reunion match. Almost. It didn’t matter, though. Aomine was there with him and Kise had never been happier to play him again.

“You really got stronger,” Aomine remarked, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“Well, of course, Aominecchi! I had to,” Kise said, adding a wink just for good measure. “Still can’t beat you, though. But next time, I’ll win!”

“Next time, I’ll beat you again,” Aomine had said but this time, he said it with the same childlike bravado he had back in middle school.

They’ve been playing together and against each other more often since then, both he and Aomine still learning, still finding their way around to restore what they lost in Teiko. Sometimes they invite Kagami and Kuroko to tag along, sometimes there’s Midorima and Takao, too, for a three-on-three, which made it even more fun.

* * *

The opportunity to play side by side with Aomine again, along with the Miracles and Kagami to take on the Jabberwocks was one of the most unforgettable moments in all of Kise’s basketball career. He thought it could only happen in his dreams, all of them playing and working together again not only for the sole purpose of winning but to make their senpais proud and ultimately, bring honor to all of Japan.

An important discovery, one that goes with such fondness whenever it comes to mind, was when he realized that he and Aomine could still play in sync, their combined powers a formidable force in the court, if not the most lethal double team in all of Japan.

There’s a light tap on Kise’s shoulder at the locker room, after they defeated the Jabberwocks, just before they all headed down to Kagetora-san’s victory party.

“What you did back there… was fucking great. And you can get into the zone, too,” Aomine said. And coming from the tanned Power Forward, that’s definitely something.

“Huh? Is Aominecchi really complimenting me?” Kise could hardly believe his ears that he’s willing to give anything right now to hear it again. But Aomine, a big brute, doesn’t humor him.

“What about your leg?” Aomine asked.

“I’m all fine now, thanks.”

“Are you sure? Well, I could walk you home later. It’s kind of along the way so…” Aomine looked away, scratching the back of his neck.

Kise did a double-take. Now, that is something.

“Wait, did you just offer to walk me home?” Kise asked with both eyebrows raised.

“Let’s just say, I’m returning the favor.”

“Favor? What favor?”

Aomine seemed to think carefully through his reply.

“When you, Perfect Copy Man, decided to take Brain-muscle Man alone so I wouldn’t drain my stamina, that’s…” Aomine shrugged and swallowed, seemingly at a loss for the right word, “I think that’s--”

“--amazing, huh?” Kise finished for him, elbowing the taller youth playfully. “C’mon, just tell me!”

“Ha? I was gonna say stupid.”

“Mo, Zone Man is so mean!”

Out of nowhere, somebody audibly cleared his throat. It was Kagami.

“Just let Aho take you home, Kise. He’s too damn obvious, geez,” Seirin’s Power Forward palmed his forehead, voice laced with exasperation.

Startled, both Kise and Aomine turned to Kagami.

“Kagamicchi, what?” Kise throws Kagami a confused look, past Aomine’s shoulder.

“The fuck are you on about, Bakagami?” Aomine glared at the red-haired intruder.

Just then, Kuroko popped out of nowhere and began pulling Kagami away. Turning to Kise and Aomine, Kuroko explained, “What Kagami-kun wants to say is that we can’t start the party without you two so you better hurry up with that. And Kagami-kun, just let them be, they’ll figure it out soon.”

“Figure out what?” Kise was curious but Kuroko had whisked Kagami away, the two of them suddenly playing deaf. Without another word, Kuroko had dragged Kagami quickly out of the locker room and that was when Kise noticed that even the rest of their friends had already left.

“Anyway, about that--” Aomine fumbled again, his voice trailing off.

Kise was about to make a joke around it but it occurred to him that Aomine giving him praises and doing him a good deed very rarely happens, he might as well be grateful for it.

“Ah, that will be nice, Aominecchi. And we can have popsicles, too, just like the old times!” Kise told him with a smile, it’s not everyday that he gets to see Aomine’s caring side after all. It made his heart flutter all over the place, but he reigned his emotions quickly, Kise had learned a long time ago to take his friend’s kindness as it is and not draw any meaning to it because… well, he didn’t want to end up getting hurt again.

At his doorstep later that night, beneath the velvet skies with a thousand glimmering stars, Aomine was just saying goodbye and Kise fought the urge to kiss him. He ended up whispering good night into Aomine’s ear instead, because the two of them are becoming good friends again and Kise better not fuck this up with rekindled feelings of admiration, no. So he holds on to what self-control he has, biting down on his lower lip, eyes never leaving Aomine’s retreating form until the latter rounded the corner of the street, completely disappearing from Kise's sight.

* * *

Like sand trickling away from his grasp, the days came by in rush, a mosaic of memories ebbing away before tucking itself quietly at the back of Kise’s mind.

In his final year in high school, Kise was made Captain of the Kaijou Basketball Club, something he only ever dreamed of before. After his last class for the day, Coach Takeuchi had summoned Kise to speak with him privately before the two of them headed down to the gym to share the news with the other club members.

Kise couldn’t explain why but he wanted so badly for Aomine to know first. Maybe because Aomine was the one who inspired him to get into basketball, the first who earned Kise’s utmost respect. For whatever it was, he couldn’t wait to share the news with the Touou Power Forward.

Being the newly-minted captain of the blue elites didn't sink in quite as fast, but the gradual realization made Kise exceptionally giddy, there was a skip to his step as he dashed out of school on his way home that day. With his heart still pounding mad in his ribcage, Kise quickly dialed Aomine’s number.

“Kise?”

“Aominecchi! I’ve something to tell you! I-- I made Team Captain this year!” He chattered away on the phone excitedly.

When there was silence on the other line for more than three seconds, Kise’s heart fell, a nervous feeling settling at the pit of his stomach.

“Um, Aominecchi… are you busy?” Kise regretted making the call and silently berated himself for not considering Aomine’s circumstance right now. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you, it’s just--”

“Hey, Kise,” Aomine interrupted. “You’re team captain now? That’s pretty awesome.”

Kise clutched at his heart, his lips curling up into a smile.

“Thanks.” He paused as if testing the waters. Then he just couldn’t help himself that he squealed over the phone, “I still can’t believe it, though, it’s surreal!”

“And why not?”

“Well, because I’m not as strong as any of you, guys…” Kise explained, referring to the rest of the Miracles.

“That’s bull.”

“Eh?”

“Being Captain isn’t just about being strong. It’s because you have it in you to pull the team together, drive them forward.”

Kise gripped the phone closer to his ear. “Is Aominecchi proud of me now?”

There’s a loud snort from the other line. “I knew it, you’re just fishing for compliments!”

“Of course not, Ahominecchi! I just wanna know! Are you proud of me?” He feigned hurt in his voice but Aomine just laughed it off.

“Yeah, I’m proud! I taught you well, didn’t I?”

“And you said I’m the one fishing for compliments?”

“Don’t turn my words against me, Kise. Anyway, where are you?”

“Just outside school, I’m about to head home, why?”

“How about we play for a bit? Loser buys burgers.”

“You’re on!” Kise quickly replied, already pumped up to get into a game. “Make sure you have enough money with you.”

“What for? I’m pretty sure you’ll be paying for the two of us.”

“Too cocky, Aominecchi! I’ll see you at the street court near Maji then?”

“You better hurry up, Captain.”

After ending the call, Kise made a mad dash to said street court, his head all over the clouds.

* * *

The two of them ended up in Maji, with Kise’s burger marred only with a single, small bite on his left hand. His chin was propped on his other hand, his mouth slightly twisted in a pout as he watched Aomine gobble up one of his cheeseburgers in under five seconds. He’d won a few rounds early on in their game but Aomine, as per usual, played so well and gave Kise a good basketball beating towards the end.

When Aomine finally noticed, he asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Like what he used to do, the tanned teen playfully grabbed at Kise’s hand, the one holding the food, and took a large bite from Kise’s burger.

“What the-- just veggies and mayo? Ew.” Aomine made loud, displeased noises at the back of his throat. “Have this.” He gave Kise one of the two cheeseburgers left untouched on his tray.

“Why can’t I win against you, Aominecchi?” Kise asked seemingly out of nowhere

Aomine chewed loudly and swallowed before answering Kise's question. “Because I’m awesome!” 

_Of course, you are_. To this, Kise scrunched up his face even more and stared down at the burger in his hand. It suddenly occurred to him that if he couldn't beat Aomine, he would have a hard time leading his team to defeat Touou and the other teams, too, and if that were the case, he had no right to be Captain of Kaijou at all.

“Oi!” Aomine waved a hand over the blond's face.

“I think I need to go now.” He stood abruptly, leaving his unfinished burger and fruit shake behind.

“What the hell?” Aomine had caught Kise’s wrist before he had the chance to walk away. “I was just kidding!”

“No, it’s true,” Kise muttered weakly. “I was never a match against you. I won’t be a good Captain if I’m this weak.”

At last year’s Interhigh, Kaijou only placed third after beating Seirin (Kise made sure the payback was well-earned). But then, Kaijou lost to Touou (again), earning Aomine’s team a spot in the finals. Touou eventually lost to Shutoku which won first place in the Interhigh. Rakuzan and Yosen, to everybody’s surprise, were eliminated in the quarterfinals early on.

Kise snapped back to reality when he felt Aomine’s grip tighten around his wrist.

“Sit down, Kise. Finish your food. Don’t walk out on me.”

“Are you a doting mother now, Aominecchi?” Kise whined, plopping down heavily on the chair across Aomine.

Aomine let go of the blond’s wrist and slurped loudly from his vanilla milkshake before telling Kise, “You’re not weak. And it’s not just you, it’s your team who will be competing against other teams. Everybody will be working hard to win. Takao and Midorima will fight to the end to keep Shutoku on top. Rakuzan will go all out too, with last year’s defeat and so will Yosen. Bakagami and Tetsu will be out for blood, too... unless I kick their asses first. But in the end, it’s anybody’s game.”

Kise pondered this for a moment.

“But still, that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never won against you or your team, ever.” Kise pointed out. Kaijou had beaten all the Miracle’s teams last year. Yes, they’ve even managed to win against Akashi and Rakuzan in a practice match. But never against Touou. It was just too frustrating.

Aomine put down his shake, reached over across the table and gave Kise’s forehead a hard flick.

“Ow! Why’d you have to do that?” Kise complained while rubbing the tender spot on his face.

“You aren’t listening, are you? Like I said, it’s anybody’s game. Losing against me doesn’t mean you're weak.” Aomine stared Kise in the eye. “You’re not weak, okay?”

Kise was too flustered to speak.

“Kise, believe me. Just do your best out there.” Aomine continued, then he added, “And I think, you’re going to be a good captain.”

For a moment, Kise held his breath, lost within the depths of Aomine’s dark blue eyes, a rush of warmth rising to his cheeks. He wanted to hear Aomine’s words of motivation, again and again, until he could believe them and make those words his own. And Kise wanted to tell Aomine how he needed his encouragement more than anything and that Aomine believing in him was all that mattered now. Kise’s heart thrummed in double time, a burst of courage suddenly overwhelming him, the words he’s been holding back all this time almost slipping from the edge of his lips.

He’s in love--still hopelessly in love with Aomine.

Acting on his emotions, Kise leaned forward, deliberately reaching for Aomine’s hand. “Ao--”

“You’ve made Captain, Ki-chan?”

Kise froze and turned his head to the side, eyes blown wide at Takao and Midorima standing right by their table with trays of food in their hands.

He quickly pulled his hand back. And just like that, Kise was snapped out of his wistful fantasies.

 _Crap._ _What was I thinking?_ He almost fucking confessed to Aomine. Here at Maji, of all places.

“Yes, he did,” Aomine answered for Kise.

“Awesome, congratulations!” Takao beamed, putting his tray on the table and assuming the seat beside Kise. Midorima opted for a small smile and sat beside Aomine.

Kise quickly said a prayer of thanks to his lucky stars for Takao and Midorima’s interruption. He couldn’t imagine himself confessing to Aomine and being rejected and living through the humiliation for the rest of his life. Most of all, he’d never, ever forgive himself if his and Aomine’s friendship got ruined because of his stupid feelings.

* * *

With the pressure of being captain weighing down on his shoulders, Kise worked hard each day to keep himself and his team in top form. Kaijou’s new recruits were a bunch of boisterous but skilled first years who were thankfully respectful of Kise’s authority and were pretty much willing to learn from him and from the other senpais of the team. As captain, Kise made sure that communication lines were open within the team, encouraging everyone to speak up and make everyone’s effort count no matter how big nor small that might be. Along the way, Kise learned to be strict when he needed to be and flexible when the situation called for it. As a result, the new kids easily warmed up to Kise, aside from being fascinated by his talent and charms (or so he’d like to think). His team, particularly the newbies, got protective of him, too, especially whenever a bunch of fangirls hover around the gym, easily disrupting practice. All these made Kise so happy and thankful, motivating him to work harder for the team.

Kise remembered with so much guilt now how cocky he had been when he marched into that gym a couple of years ago, so full of himself. Looking back, he felt grateful that he didn’t have to deal with anyone who was like himself back then or maybe like any of the Miracles after they just got out of Teiko. Kise was also grateful for his then captain, Kasamatsu-senpai, his mentor, who pulled him from the cloud of entitlement that he’s been into and grounded his feet back on the ground. He made sure that all the lessons he’d learned over the years would be passed down smoothly to his kouhais. Being captain was a truckload of work, especially now that he had to juggle it along with academics and modeling. But Kise found himself enjoying every moment of his senior year so far, amidst the bustle of his hectic schedule.

His hard labor was paying well, all the extra hours he'd put into practice, all the sleepless nights rewatching every game Kaijou played in the past, noting down crucial plays and studying his teammates and other players from other schools.

He couldn’t help it but Kise had spent more time watching those games with Touou in it until he became so fixated on finding out what could chip away Touou’s solid defense and ultimately, win against Aomine.

“Shit, I’m obsessed,” he said out loud to himself before clicking stop on his laptop, Aomine’s words repeating themselves inside his head.

_Just do your best out there. You’re going to be a good captain._

Kise found himself smiling in spite of all the uncertainties that filled his mind. After shutting down his laptop, he quickly threw himself onto bed, taking comfort in knowing that Aomine actually believed in him to be the Captain that Kaijou needed.

* * *

Fighting tooth and nail, Kaijou advanced from the preliminaries all the way to the finals after beating Seirin, whose quest for revenge against Kaijou hadn’t pulled through. At the final buzzer, Kise, Kuroko and Kagami hugged each other for a long time while tears ran down their cheeks. It was a moment of epiphany for Kise, realizing how much he loved his friends and while he’s in pure elation for winning, seeing his friends overcome by defeat also left his heart in shreds.

Now, he’s watching from the sidelines with his teammates, waiting in anticipation for which team between Rakuzan and Touou would meet Kaijou in the final battle of the Interhigh.

Earlier, he’d texted both Akashi and Aomine,

> Good luck! (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

Akashi simply replied,

> Thank you, Ryouta. To you as well.

And as for Aomine, his message read,

> C u at the finals captain

He pushed the phone in his pocket and turned his gaze towards the court below where both teams have been warming up. The respect he held for Akashi and Aomine, as with his other Vorpal Swords teammates, had improved over time as they rebuilt their friendship gradually after the last game of the Winter Cup during their freshman year. All of them had matured, their basketball sense and technique ever-improving. Truly, it could be anybody’s game at this point but deep down, there’s a tiny voice inside Kise that wished for Aomine to win, for the Touou Ace to make good with his promise and meet Kaijou at the finals.

* * *

Kise would forever remember the last game he played in the Interhigh of his Senior year.

He’d always remember how he promised his teammates, just before they went out to the court, that he'd treat them to unlimited steak and karaoke, and even went as far as promising the minors that he’ll let them drink beer after they win this game.

Kise would always remember how excited his kouhais were, how he and his vice-captain Yosuke, had patted them all at the back for encouragement like old dads.

He’d always remember how surprised he was, when his senpai Kasamatsu showed up right before the match, traveling all the way from Sapporo to watch his game live. Kasamatsu was smiling, had wished him good luck while playfully ruffling his hair, and right there, Kise was assured that his senpai had been proud of how far he and Kaijou had come.

Kise would never forget the familiar smirk that Aomine gave him, along with a tanned fist raised in challenge, after the players of Touou and Kaijou performed the obligatory bow, saying to each other, ‘Let’s play a good game!’.

“Good luck, Aominecchi,” Kise said, bumping his own fist into Aomine’s, a shot of static quickly born from under his skin at the contact. _We’ll win_ , he vowed silently, while holding the Touou Ace’s gaze.

And so it began, the final game of the Interhigh, Kaijou against Touou, unfolding before Kise’s eyes like a deja vu of sorts.

Kise would never forget the pressure bearing down on him with every shot of the ball, the wave of adrenaline pushing him to work harder, to give it his all. At first, it might seem that Touou had the advantage, with Momoi’s uncanny ability to research player stats and make accurate inferences on players. There’s Sakurai, too, Touou’s captain, whose threes have become more lethal. There’s not even a trace of the once timid, apologetic mushroom now, and it went beyond Kise’s wits that Sakurai had grown so much to become a respectable leader of his team, that even Aomine, in all his stubbornness, had become pliant to the Touou Captain’s wishes.

And of course, there’s Aomine, the panther of the court, always ready to pounce on his prey, the formidable Ace of Touou in every sense of the word.

But Kise did his homework, he’s got an arsenal of weapons under his belt and more importantly, he’s backed by a team of skilled players, too. Notable among them was his vice captain, a reliable and seasoned center. Their shooting guard, a freshman, had been the MVP in middle school. Kaijou’s other forward, also a freshman who played both basketball and track during middle school, was quite agile in making inside plays.

The setback, and that which puts Kaijou at a disadvantage, was the limit to Kise’s own Perfect Copy. Albeit powerful, everybody knew that he could only use his ability for a dismal five minutes and after that time, his body had to cool down, making Kise considerably slower, thus giving the opposing team every advantage they needed to win.

If only he could make his Perfect Copy last longer, a quarter maybe, then victory will be assured.

“Kise!” Someone yelled.

He cocked his head towards the direction of the voice, just as his vice-captain made a long chest pass. Too distracted, Kise was a second too late to get in position, a Touou player intercepted the ball before he could move. With his mind in frenzy, Kise strided after the Touou guard just as the latter was running upcourt for a fastbreak. Kise gritted his teeth when he saw that none of his teammates were guarding under the basket, leaving the Touou player free to score. Frantic, Kise reached for the ball in an attempt to steal it away but had ended up with a loud whistle from the referee.

As the Touou player readied himself for a freethrow, Aomine had stood beside Kise.

“Get your head in the game,” Aomine said to him, just over a din of a whisper.

Kise’s blood was boiling. He’s not angry at Aomine, he’s frustrated with himself.

Thankfully, Coach Takeuchi called for a timeout after Touou scored. Kise huffed and shot a glance at the scoreboard before ambling towards the bench. Touou was still ahead by 9 points.

He hadn’t activated his Perfect Copy yet, he’s been saving it for the last quarter, making Kaijou’s play very much obvious to the opposing team, if not already predictable. For sure, Aomine and his teammates will be hot on Kise’s heels, marking and guarding him as tightly as they could, leaving Kise with no room for an opening as much as possible while he’s using Perfect Copy and Zone. Then, they would just have to wait for five minutes until Kise blows off steam. And Kaijo will fall.

_Now, if I could only make Perfect Copy and Zone last for the whole quarter…_

“Kise, are you even listening?” Coach yelled.

“Yes, Coach. Sorry.” Kise met Takeuchi’s eyes.

“Keep your focus, everyone’s counting on you!”

“Yes, Coach.”

The referee blew his whistle, signaling the start of the final quarter.

The real battle begins.

With his Perfect Copy and Zone activated, Kaijou was able to close the gap between the scores, chipping away at Touou’s tight-knit defense as Kise and his team gained momentum, setting the tone and pace of the game.

Aomine was working doubly hard in his zone too, the game becoming a battle of tactics and stamina between them.

Everyone was in awe when Kise breached his five-minute limit, the roar of the crowd deafening as they chanted the teams’ names louder with every basket.

Just as Kise was in possession of the ball, Aomine stepped in front of him, a panther lying in wait.

“Aren’t you quite full of surprises today? I must say, I’m impressed.” Aomine’s eyes were trained on him like a hawk, watching out for any slight movement, his lips curled in a devious smirk.

“You ain’t the only one who wants to win here, Aominecchi!” Kise said as he made a cross-over dribble and pulled an Akashi ankle break. As Aomine stumbled backwards, Kise got into position and pulled Midorima’s high-arc three. Kaijou finally pulled ahead by two points.

Kise thought that he could keep this up until the last minute. It’s not impossible after all.

The pace of the game accelerated as Kaijou and Touou continued to trade baskets, the tension between both aces becoming heightened and palpable, it could be cut with a knife.

Two minutes before the end of the last quarter, Kise felt his knees quiver slightly. He’s putting too much strain on his legs, it’s starting to show. He cursed under his breath. If he doesn’t hold out longer, Touou would easily overtake Kaijou.

“Oi, Kise, you better slow down!” Aomine said while guarding him.

“And let you win? Not gonna happen today, Aominecchi!” Kise declared boldly, more to himself than to Aomine. He sprinted towards the basket, with Aomine hot on his heels. He took a back step, his grip on the ball tight as he raised his arms in the air. When Aomine took the bait, Kise pulled Kuroko’s ignite pass to get the ball to his teammate waiting at the three-point line. Kaijou scored.

“You little shit!”

Nothing more satisfying than seeing Aomine clench his jaw in frustration.

30 seconds more.

Kise started to feel it in his back and arms, too, his breathing apparently becoming rapid and shallow by the minute. Unfortunately, Touou and Aomine refused to back down either, throwing a quick basket at their side of the court for every point Kaijou gained.

At 15 seconds left in the game, a violation was called on a Touou player, putting the ball in possession of Kaijou. Touou was still ahead by a single point. If they don’t make this shot, it will be the end for Kaijou.

Kise channeled his undivided focus towards the ball bouncing up and down from his Vice-captain’s palm, his heart racing at the staccato sound the ball makes everytime it hits the floor.

_I’m going to win._

Two players started double-teaming Kise. He needed to get closer to the basket so he could intercept the ball and make a shot. Copying Aomine’s speed, Kise pivoted around one of the opposing players and dashed ahead, catching the ball that was thrown at him by his teammate. Kise tried to use Takao’s hawk-eye but his vision had started to get fuzzy.

_I’m going to win._

With his heartbeat thundering loudly in his rib cage, Kise ran as fast as he could, only stopping when he found himself at mid-court, face-to-face with Aomine.

“You’ve got to stop, you’re pushing yourself too hard, idiot!” Aomine yelled at him but Kise barely caught on the words.

_I’m going to win!_

The Touou Power Forward closed the gap between them, blocking Kise’s line of vision using his wide breadth and strength. Letting his instincts to completely take over, Kise took a step back, sprinted past Aomine’s guard and made a drive under the basket. After gaining enough momentum, Kise leaped and released the ball with a flick of his wrist, Aomine meeting him in the air.

When his feet landed on the floor, Kise’s world spun and toppled over, turning everything black.

The sound of the final buzzer rang faintly in his ears.

* * *

Kise woke up to a strange whiteness. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of his surroundings, ceilings and walls and windows finally taking shape. When he had caught a whiff of something antiseptic, that was when it finally sank in, his senses coming together. This is a hospital and he’s definitely lying on a hospital bed.

_Oh god. What just happened?_

It took a little while before Kise’s brain caught up to his last memory--Kaijou rallying for points during the dying seconds of the game, Yosuke passing the ball, and finally, Kise himself making the shot. And then he blacked out right there.

What Kise couldn’t figure, though, was the unmistakable shade of blue edging into his periphery, the outline of a man with curious blue eyes right in front of his face…

“A-Aominecchi?” Kise squeaked. His throat felt so parched.

“Hey. Finally, you’re awake,” Aomine said, his face serious. Kise noticed that Aomine was zipped up in his Touou jacket so the game must’ve ended. Aomine continued, “How are you feeling? Is there anything that hurts?

Pausing for a while, Kise tried feeling his body. Nothing felt weird. He wiggled his feet under the white linen sheets. It seemed like they’re okay, so far, not a pinch of pain. Kise shook his head.

“But I’m very thirsty, though,” Kise said.

On the bedside table, there’s a paper cup and a pitcher of water beside a glass vase with a single white lily. Aomine moved quickly and poured Kise a cup of water. After Aomine had adjusted the backrest to help him in a sitting position, Kise drank greedily from the cup offered to him in one go and asked for a refill after he emptied it. All the while, Aomine kept quiet but it didn’t escape Kise’s notice that the Touou ace’s eyes were watching him intently, making Kise feel self-conscious, somehow.

“So, uh, I fainted, didn’t I? What exactly happened? Did…” Kise hesitated, unsure if he wanted to hear the truth. “Did we win?”

A nervous feeling settled at the pit of Kise’s stomach when he saw how Aomine’s expression had suddenly darkened. Kise braced himself for the bad news but Aomine’s reaction was too far out from what Kise expected.

“Is that all you fucking care about? Winning?” Aomine suddenly lashed out, for a reason Kise couldn’t quite comprehend.

“Why are you mad--”

“Because you’ve been stupid out there!” Aomine retorted, making the blond wince. “Really, Kise, what were you thinking?”

Kise’s mouth fell open but no words came out. He was so confused that he couldn’t even begin to ask Aomine why he was acting this way.

“You wanna know what happened? Yes, that shot you made came through! Kaijou won.” Aomine was glaring at him, his voice amplified and deathly cold. “But at what cost, exactly? ‘Til you fall from fatigue? What if you bust your ankle again and can’t play anymore? You knew how fucking dangerous it was but you still pushed yourself!”

Kise’s gaze dropped to his lap, the paper cup he’s still holding now crushed in his fist.

“It wasn’t a bad thing… to win for once,” Kise defended himself in a small voice.

Aomine snorted. “Had I known you were this obsessed, I would’ve never played as hard.”

“Don’t you ever do that!” Kise yelled, not caring at all if they caught the attention of the hospital staff, hot tears already coursing down his cheeks. “Don’t you dare come at me without giving it your all, Aominecchi, or I will never forgive you!”

Aomine took a deep breath, turned his back on Kise and paced around the room.

Kise hastily wiped the tears away from his eyes but he couldn’t bring himself to stop crying, a shot of pain swelling in his chest with every breath.

“You know what? If you can’t be happy for me…” Kise sniffed. “Or if you’re just here to yell at me, well, I’m tired. You should just leave.” He buried his face in his hands to stifle his sobs.

It went quiet between them, save for Kise’s crying. Drawing closer, Aomine let out a heavy sigh before he sat on Kise’s bed.

“Sorry for yelling at you,” Aomine apologized in a quiet voice. “I was just so worried that you’d hurt yourself. When you fainted, I got scared that something bad might’ve happened to you.”

Surprised at what he heard, Kise lifted his face to catch Aomine tenderly staring at him, his expression pained. And Kise’s breath got caught in his throat for he’d never seen Aomine looking like that, like he’s about to cry, too.

While holding his amber gaze, one of Aomine’s warm hands began to caress Kise’s cheek. “Don’t cry anymore. Just rest up, okay?” Then the Touou ace stood up and made his way towards the door.

“I wanted to beat you,” Kise said before Aomine could leave.

When he’s sure he had Aomine’s attention, Kise continued, “...because I want to win your heart so bad. This sounds really stupid but it’s true. I wanted to catch up to you because I’m scared you’d leave me behind again like in Teiko. I thought Aominecchi will only like me if I’m strong.”

Aomine shuffled for a bit, his expression impossible to read. Much to Kise's surprise, the Touou Ace had returned to his side and suddenly, Kise found himself wrapped within Aomine’s strong embrace. Kise hugged him back and felt the faint thud of Aomine’s heartbeat, the scent of his woodsy cologne with a hint of something spice messing with Kise’s thoughts and it felt surreal and wonderful all the same.

“And here I am trying to get better, too, hoping you wouldn’t catch up to me,” Aomine said with a hint of a smile in his voice.

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” Kise’s head perked up in confusion.

“Kise, I’m sorry for what happened back in Teiko. It certainly wasn’t my proudest moment, I was an ass. After our match during first year, I knew you’d get stronger and would come to beat me soon. I realized a lot of things, too, and I trained harder. I was afraid that if you’d beat me, you’d lose interest and just move on. I remembered something like ‘you’d quit admiring me to surpass.’”

Aomine then cupped Kise’s face with both hands. “And it’s not true that I will only like you if you’re strong.” He paused and tilted his head to the right before he said, “Kise, I’ve been in love with you for a while, everybody noticed except you.”

“For a while? Oh my god, Aominecchi, since when?”

“I’m not sure, actually. Maybe after Interhigh or even before that.” Aomine looked away, stroking his nape, a hint of red coloring his tanned cheeks. “I remembered being so mad at that bastard Haizaki during the Winter Cup when he tried to hurt you. I could’ve broken his jaw right there. And you didn’t believe it when Satsuki told you.”

Kise clapped a hand over his mouth. He remembered when Momoi came to him and excitedly chattered about Aomine beating Shougo. Never had Kise believed until now that Aomine went that far and had risked getting suspended if he ever got caught, just for him.

Kise smiled. All this damn time, he’s been in love with Aomine. And Aomine’s been in love with him, too. How could the two of them be so stupid, how could he be so blind?

Overcome by so many emotions, Kise closed his eyes and pulled Aomine closer to himself, clinging to the Touou ace like he’s afraid that if he lets go, the beautiful moment will be lost forever.

“Aominecchi, there’s something you need to know, too…” Kise whispered, a rush of heat rising to his cheeks. “I’m in--”

Before Kise could finish, the door flew open. He and Aomine jumped apart when they saw that several of Kise’s teammates, at least the ones in the starting line-up, have marched inside the room. And then there was a collective gasp.

“Captain?” Hitomi, Kaijou’s point guard, stared at Kise then at Aomine, his face wrought in confusion.

“Guys, ever heard of knocking?” Aomine glared at the group but he was blatantly ignored.

“What’s the Touou ace doin’ here?” It was Kaito, a first year, who began throwing suspicious looks in Aomine’s general direction.

The barrage of questions from the rest of Kaijou’s players continued.

“Captain’s with the enemy?”

“Oh no, what’s he trying to do to senpai?”

“Did Aomine-san just make our Captain cry?”

“We’re not too late aren’t we?”

Finally, a boy with black, pointy hair named Souma, another one of Kise’s kouhais, stepped forward boldly to address Aomine.

“Hey. We don’t know what you’re up to but if you’re here to try anything funny, we’ll stop you. We won’t let anything bad happen to our captain!” Souma said defiantly, and soon the others were behind him.

“What the fuck?” Aomine cussed. “Hey, Kise, what is this idiot saying?”

“I’m not an idiot! My name is Souma Hajime!” The boy retorted.

Aomine was about to lose his cool. “Listen to me, hedgehog. I have every right to be here because I’m your captain’s boyfriend!”

“B-boyfriend? You?” Souma stared at Aomine liked he’d grown another head. The others took a step back with an almost identical reaction to Souma.

“Aominecchi, please, don’t terrorize my kouhais!” Kise wailed.

“But why? How did that happen?” Souma now turned to Kise, his expression worried. “Kise-senpai, is it true?”

“What do you mean ‘why’, you idiot?” Aomine looked like he’s about to bust a nerve. “Oi, brat, do you have a death wish?”

“Aominecchi, please relax!” Kise tugged on one of Aomine’s arms.

“Then tell them, Kise!”

“Oh my god,” Kise began massaging his temples as he could already feel an upcoming headache. Things are escalating so quickly and he wasn’t sure if ‘boyfriend’ was the appropriate label for him and Aomine right now. At the same time, Kise felt highly embarrassed over the fact that their relationship had to be revealed in the most bizarre way, before his innocent kouhais but also, his heart was already doing these happy dances inside his chest when Aomine called himself as his boyfriend.

“Yes, guys, it’s the truth,” was all Kise had managed to say. From the corner of his eye, he saw Aomine giving his teammates a shit-eating grin.

“The enemy was captain’s boyfriend? Unbelievable!” Someone from the back had said.

“Who the fuck said that?” Aomine was triggered again. “And Kise, why do they keep calling me ‘the enemy’? Did you fucking brainwash these kids?”

“Of course not, Aominecchi!” Kise said.

“But you’re really the enemy! You’re our captain’s biggest rival!” Souma pointed out.

“Guys, can we just all calm down for a second?” Yosuke, Kise’s vice-captain, finally intervened. “You all heard what Captain said. It’s time to let it rest. And we aren’t here to add to his stress, are we?”

Thankfully, the rest of Kaijou had considered this and quieted down.

“Thanks, man,” Aomine said to Yosuke.

“Sorry about earlier,” Souma said meekly, moving closer towards Kise. “Senpai, we’re here to give you this.” He pulled something shiny from his pocket and handed it to Kise. The MVP gold medal.

_Oh._

Two of his teammates had stepped forward as well to show Kise the Interhigh Championship trophy. Kise swallowed thickly as he ran his palms over the smooth, gold-tinted surface, his tear-streaked face reflected over it.

“Oh my god. It really is true,” To Kise, all of these still felt so surreal, every emotion he’s been reigning in for a while came as fresh tears running down his cheeks once again. All his hard work in the past, every hurdle he overcame, everything he had ever dreamed of had been realized at that moment. Everything was worth it.

When Kise turned to his teammates, he was surprised to see them lined up in a single file. Then they all bowed low before him and said together, “Thank you for being our captain!”

“No guys,” Kise told them as he struggled to wipe away his tears, his lips trembling as he spoke. “It’s thank you for all your hard work. We would’ve never done it without each of your efforts.” 

Aomine stepped aside and made way for Kise’s teammates to swarm around the bed so they could do a group hug. Several minutes later, Kise’s teammates bid their captain farewell and along with it, their well-wishes for Kise to get better soon.

“What’s his name, Souma? That lil shit’s gonna pay for it this Winter Cup, I swear!” Aomine told Kise right after he sent the Kaijou team out of the door.

“Please be nice to my kouhai, Aominecchi. Souma is a good boy though a little mouthy. He’s a teamplayer and has lots of potential. But in any case, if you want to go after him, you’ll have to go through me first.” Kise warned him.

“Kaijou won’t have it easy the next time we play,” Aomine stated as a-matter-of-factly, as he went back to sit on the edge of the blond’s bed. “And Kise, if you ever pull that shit you did earlier, I swear, I’m gonna haul your ass out of the court, I don’t care what it takes!”

“Sure, mom, I’ll keep that in mind,” Kise replied with the slightest hint of mockery if just to lighten Aomine's mood.

“I’m not joking, Kise.” Aomine said flatly.

“I know,” Kise then wrapped his arms around Aomine’s neck. “I’m sorry I made you worry.”

Aomine seemed appeased by the fond gesture. “Anyway, I think you’re trying to tell me something before your minions intruded.”

At the memory, Kise bit his bottom lip, a sudden rush of embarrassment washing over him.

“What is it, Kise? Why are you blushing?” Aomine cupped his face again and the way the Touou ace was staring at him was making Kise feel all soft and gooey inside.

“I was gonna say I’m in love with you, too, but I guess, you figured that out already. Well, you told my team that you’re my boyfriend.”

The corners of Aomine’s lips curled into a smirk. “There’s one thing left to do, then…”

Kise’s breath hitched as Aomine leaned forward, his lips ghosting over Kise’s when the door had burst open yet again.

“Fuck.” He heard Aomine curse under his breath. Both of their heads perked up and when they looked, there’s Momoi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles, plus Kagami, Takao and Himuro, who were currently being dated by Kuroko, Midorima and Murasakibara respectively. Only Akashi came in without his partner, Mayuzumi Chihiro, who is currently an accounting student at Osaka University.

“Did everybody just forget to knock first before barging in?” Aomine almost yelled at his friends.

There was a gleam of mischief on Momoi’s eyes when she told her best friend, “we’ve been knocking for a while but no one's answering, Dai-chan.”

“Obviously, they’re both busy at the moment,” Kagami snickered.

“Told ya, guys this is a bad time,” Takao butted in.

“So you both finally figured your shits out, huh?” Kuroko asked. Even Akashi who was standing behind the Seirin’s shadow was trying his best not to laugh.

“Um, guys, wouldn’t you want to ask about me first before other, uh, stuff?” Kise couldn’t help but blush furiously at the knowing looks his friends are giving him and Aomine.

“Oh, Ki-chan, Dai-chan, no need to be shy, we already know!” Momoi pointed out cheerfully. “And besides, we’re here to congratulate you on Kaijou’s victory!”

“You’ve lead your team well, Ryouta. Congratulations.” Akashi said.

“Your use of Perfect Copy for longer was impressive, but risky, in fact,” Midorima said.

“Mine-chin obviously had a hard time keeping up,” said Murasakibara.

“I just ran out of time, that’s all!” Aomine stated grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Be careful next time, Kise-chin,” the purple-haired giant told Kise, completely ignoring a scowling Aomine at the side.

“Congratulations, Kise-kun. That was well-played,” Kuroko added. “Though I hope you won’t overexert yourself.”

“Thanks guys,” Kise said to his friends while fighting hard to keep the tears at bay. He’s had enough of crying today and for this moment, he just wanted to believe all of his friends’ uplifting words and keep them all into his heart.

“Alright, we better get going so you two can have some privacy,” Momoi said, giving Kise a sly wink. “He was dead worried about you the whole time, you know? Didn’t even come to the ceremonies so he could be there when you wake up. I didn't know my best friend was romantic like that!”

“Oi, Satsuki! Why don’t you just all get outta here?” Aomine grumbled.

“Ahomine’s ready to gut us all, let’s go!” Kagami chortled and then he added, “good luck to you, Kise.”

“Shut it, Bakagami or I’ll gut you first!” Aomine growled at the redhead and the rest of their friends laughed at the usual banter between the two basketball nerds. Having all of his friends showing him support and concern, and being able to laugh at silly things together like this filled Kise’s heart to the brim with happiness. They’re far from perfect but Kise is quite thankful that they've all become friends.

* * *

After the group had left, Aomine wasted no time, drawing closer towards Kise as he sat on the edge of the bed. Gazing into the blond’s amber eyes, Aomine brought his hands to cup Kise’s face, a thumb lightly tracing the lines along Kise’s jaw before his mind could pick up what’s happening.

“If I don’t kiss you soon, I think I’ll go crazy,” Aomine had said before he pressed his mouth against Kise’s, slow and tender yet bold, a mounting pressure on Kise’s bottom lip. Kise parted his lips a little, tilting his head a little backwards, too, and Aomine responded by slipping a bit of tongue in, making Kise’s heartbeat climb a few notches higher, his head already buzzing with pleasure. With his fingers buried in Aomine’s hair, Kise closed his eyes and let himself be carried away as Aomine deepened the kiss, pushing him down on his back against the bed.

“Aomine Daiki, when did you ever learn to kiss like that?” Kise whispered after he got the chance to catch his breath, eyes still closed as he relished the warmth, the tenderness of Aomine’s lips on his, basking in the pleasure of having been finally kissed by the love of his life.

“Sometimes, I practice with the back of my hand… and think of you,” Aomine replied sheepishly.

“Oh my god,” Kise chuckled, feeling the blood rise to his cheeks.

Just then, Kise heard someone clear their throat. They jumped apart like they’ve just been electrocuted when they realized that there’s the doctor, a lean, middle-aged woman in a pristinely white lab coat, standing by the foot of the bed, looking like she’s about to haul their asses out of the window.

“The hospital is no place for fooling around,” the doctor had said to them, calm yet scathing just the same, before she let out a sigh of resignation. “Gosh, kids these days...”

“Sorry, ma’am, we didn’t mean to-- I mean we--” Kise grimaced helplessly, unable to finish what he’s about to say, dearly wishing for the ground to open up and swallow him and Aomine whole. His cheeks were burning, he thought he could fry a couple of eggs over them. When he stole a glance at Aomine, Kise bit his bottom lip, fighting his best not to burst out laughing upon seeing his boyfriend just as mortified, his tanned face taking in a deep shade of red.

Aomine stepped as far away as he could from the bed, giving way to the doctor who wanted to take a closer look at Kise. After checking Kise’s vital signs, he said that all tests had yielded positive results, no concussion or bone fracture anywhere, that Kise must have fainted due to over fatigue and that he could already go home. Kise let out a sigh of relief.

The doctor turned to Aomine, her voice almost stern, “listen, get your friend to eat healthy and make him drink lots of fluids, too. Make sure he takes vitamins everyday to get his strength up quickly.”

Aomine stood up straighter and seemed to be listening attentively.

“And get him home safely, he needs plenty of rest. No fooling around for the two of you, am I making myself clear, young man?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Aomine nodded like an obedient puppy.

After the doctor left, Kise quickly buried his face in one of the pillows and screamed. He only seemed to recover a little from the embarrassment when he felt a pair of arms circle around his shoulders, pulling him close into Aomine’s chest. Kise slowly peeked from the pillow to catch a glimpse of his boyfriend.

“That’s super embarrassing,” Kise said as he tugged into Aomine’s jacket.

“No shit,” Aomine whispered back. He lifted Kise’s chin a little and leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on Kise’s forehead, much to the blond’s chagrin. “Let’s get out of here and find a place where I can kiss you properly.”

* * *

Kise would not forget the first time he’d won against Aomine and how he’d ended up winning Aomine’s heart, too, before the day ended.

Kise remembered how he shivered in the cold of the night, a gust of wind leaving a trail of goosebumps along the skin of his forearm as soon as he and Aomine exited the hospital building. He remembered how Aomine had taken off his Touou jacket and made Kise wear it over his Kaijou jersey, making him all flushed and warm like a delicate flower on a summer morning.

Later on, just before he drifts off to sleep in his bed, Kise would remember how he and Aomine had celebrated Kaijou’s victory over a hot bowl of Shoyu ramen and a plateful of karaage in some obscure ramen stall they passed on the way home. He’d remember how slowly they’ve walked after, side by side, laughing and chatting about nothing in particular, their fingers laced together in the most comfortable way. He’d remember how they halted at the street corner, looking into each other’s eyes.

“I’ve really wanted to kiss you that night, after the Vorpal Swords game,” Aomine had said and it made Kise smile.

“Same. I almost cried when we didn’t,” Kise confessed, his fingers easily finding their way into the back of Aomine’s neck.

And Kise would remember how the two of them had made out to their heart’s content, under the faint glow of the lampost at the corner of the street near Kise’s home, one of Aomine’s hands nestled over the curve of his waist, the other pressed against the small of his back.

And the taste of victory in Kise’s mouth is definitely one for the books, too wonderful to be forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading the longest one-shot I've ever written! Kudos and/or comments are much appreciated ;D  
> Kise's kouhais had noticed early on their captain's hyperfixation towards Touou and Aomine. They saw how Kise wanted so bad to beat Aomine more than anyone else and it kinda got into them, too, which was why they secretly called Aomine 'the enemy'.
> 
> Kasamatsu-senpai came to Kise's match because he and Kise had remained good friends even after the former captain graduated from Kaijou and went to uni. Kasamatsu-senpai was the next person to be told by Kise of his captaincy. Sometimes, Kise bothers his former senpai for advice and would seem grumpy at first whenever Kise calls him but in truth, he doesn't have the heart to turn his former kouhai away. (Gosh, i love KiKasa brOTP as much as i love them together, lol).
> 
> K. I hope the next time I post another fic, everything had reverted to normal. Hopefully. Please keep safe and stay healthy!


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